Minneapolis Is Watching Federal Power Break Its Own Rules
How violent enforcement is replacing restraint in American cities
On January 24, 2026, 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse and U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by a federal Border Patrol agent during a Department of Homeland Security immigration enforcement operation in south Minneapolis, near Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street.
Pretti was not the target of the operation.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, agents were conducting an immigration enforcement action when Pretti allegedly approached officers while armed with a handgun. DHS claims he resisted efforts to disarm him, and an agent fired in self-defense.
That version of events was released quickly and decisively. It is also now being openly disputed.
Multiple videos circulating online show Pretti holding a phone, filming, and appearing to assist others during a chaotic confrontation involving pepper spray and multiple agents. In the footage ava…
